Easter Cheesecakes
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ⅓ cup cold heavy whipping cream
  • 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Sweetened Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: chocolate Easter eggs* and green-tinted sweetened flaked coconut**
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray a 12-well mini cheesecake pan with removable bottoms with cooking spray.
  2. In a small bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and butter. Divide crumb mixture evenly among wells of prepared pan, approximately 4 teaspoons per well, pressing firmly to create a level base.
  3. Bake until crusts are firmly set, approximately 10 minutes. Let cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack. Freeze until ready to assemble cheesecakes.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, beat whipping cream with a mixer at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer to another medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
  5. In the original mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar with a mixer at medium speed until smooth and well combined, approximately 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Divide cream cheese mixture among prepared crusts. Using a small offset spatula, spread cream cheese mixture evenly over crusts in each well. On a kitchen towel-lined countertop, gently tap pan to eliminate air bubbles. Cover pans with plastic wrap, ensuring plastic wrap does not touch surface of cheesecakes. Refrigerate until set, 6 hours or up to overnight.
  6. Just before serving, carefully remove cheesecakes from pan.
  7. Place Sweetened Whipped Cream in a piping bag fitted with a large open-star tip (Wilton #1M). Pipe a rosette of Sweetened Whipped Cream onto each cheesecake.
  8. Garnish with candy Easter eggs and tinted coconut, if desired. Serve immediately.
  9. *We used Cadbury Mini Eggs Milk Chocolate Easter Candy.
  10. **To tint coconut, stir together ¼ cup sweetened flaked coconut and desired amount of green food coloring in a medium bowl.
Recipe by TeaTime Magazine at https://teatimemagazine.com/easter-cheesecakes/